Manny Pacquiao, the League Founder and CEO, recorded a remarkable triple-double performance as the South team convincingly defeated the North squad with a final score of 114-63 during the OKBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season 5 Executives Game.
This thrilling showdown took place at the All-Star Weekend at the Bataan People’s Center in Balanga, Bataan.
Defying the notion of aging, Pacquiao displayed an impressive stat line, accumulating 33 points, which included five successful three-pointers, along with an incredible 15 assists and 11 rebounds.
He accomplished all of this in 37 minutes and 39 seconds of play, surpassing his own performance from the previous year.
In the prior edition, Pacquiao had contributed 30 points, including four three-pointers, eight rebounds, and four assists in 37 minutes and 30 seconds of gameplay. Notably, Pacquiao earned the well-deserved title of the game’s Most Valuable Player.
In contrast to their previous encounter, this contest lacked the suspense, as the South team quickly established their dominance in the first quarter, leading 37-13. They maintained their lead throughout the game, with Mermann Flores, Kaizer Galvez, Jojo Cunanan, and Denzel Jansen Wong making significant contributions to the scoring effort.
Flores delivered an impressive 18 points and secured seven rebounds, while Wong added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Galvez netted 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Michael Jay Javelosa’s stellar performance on the boards, with 22 rebounds, and Marlou Aquino’s 10 rebounds further solidified the South’s control of the game, outrebounding the North by a significant margin, 92-55.
Don Dulay, the coach of the Makati OKBet Kings, showcased his skills on both ends of the court by scoring 15 points, pulling down 17 rebounds, and distributing six assists for the North team. Alfonso Kaw and Richard Rosales also contributed to their scoring effort with 14 and 13 points, respectively
(ai/mnm)
